Jamie Magazine
By Kylie Kwong
Ingredients
4 x 200g duck breasts, skin on, trimmed of excess fat
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon chilli powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground fennel seeds
½ teaspoon sichuan seasoning, plus extra to serve (see tip)
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 large red chilli
2-3 spring onions
2 lemons
700ml vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Top Tip
Sichuan pepper with salt is a seasoning that crops up in many Chinese recipes. You can buy sichuan (or szechuan) pepper in Asian supermarkets, Waitrose and Ocado. To make sichuan pepper and salt seasoning, dry-roast 1 tablespoon of sichuan pepper and 3 tablespoons of sea salt in a heavy-based pan. When the peppercorns start to pop and become aromatic, remove from the heat and allow to cool. Once cool, grind to a powder in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Store in an airtight container. Makes 4 tablespoons.
Method
- Arrange the duck breasts, skin-side up, on a heatproof plate that will fit inside a steamer basket. Place inside the steamer and position over a deep saucepan or wok of boiling water and steam, covered, for 12 minutes or until the duck is half cooked.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour, chilli powder, cumin, fennel, sichuan seasoning (see tip), ginger and 3 teaspoons of sea salt.
- Remove the plate from the steamer, transfer the duck breasts to a wire rack and set aside for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, finely slice the chilli on the diagonal, then trim and julienne the spring onions. Halve the lemons.
- Toss the duck in the spicy flour mixture to coat well, shaking off any excess. In a wok, heat the oil until it shimmers slightly. Deep-fry the duck for about 2 minutes, or until just cooked through and lightly browned. Drain well on kitchen paper.
- Cut the duck on the diagonal into 1cm slices and arrange on a serving platter with a small bowl of sichuan seasoning.
- Garnish with the sliced chilli and spring onions, then serve immediately with the lemon halves for squeezing over the meat.
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